The Definition of a Hero
by ImaSupernaturalCSI
Summary: Adam Ross meets a boy at a crime scene that dredges up a lifetime of memories for him. DL, AdamKendall. DannyAdam friendship. COMPLETE on 8-31-08!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY. They belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.**

**Author's Note: After a serious bout with writer's block, I think I'm back. Have to give a huge shout out to everyone who voted for my stories in the CSI:NY FF Awards. I'm so proud of my second places, so thanks very much.**

**This story is going to be a little different from things I've written before. I find Adam a fun and complex character that has a lot of potential. This story will deal with the aftereffects of "Snow Day" (so SPOILERS for 'Snow Day') as well as events from the shoplifter episode (spacing on the ep title), where we learn Adam's dad was a bully. Plus, I love Adam and Danny friendship stories. The two of them went through a tough situation together, so I imagine it could bring them closer- the streetwise detective and the sheltered lab geek.**

**CHAPTER ONE**

Daddy was yelling again.

He buried his face in his knees and closed his eyes, listening. Bad words that Mommy wouldn't ever let him say, not in a million years. Mommy was crying. Daddy's voice was making his ears hurt. He heard breaking glass. Now Mommy was yelling bad words at Daddy.

Mommy's voice echoed in his ears. _Just go sit in the closet, baby. Turn on your music. It'll all go away in a while._ And it would. Daddy yelled a lot and he yelled for a long time, but then he was quiet and he went away again.

_Turn on your music. It'll all go away in a while_.

So he did. He pushed Play on his music player and closed his eyes. Mommy would come get him when Daddy went away again...

It was a little while later when his music stopped playing by itself. He opened his eyes. It was dark now.

It was quiet.

Cautiously, he pulled the headphones from his ears. He crawled forward and tried to push the closet door open to come out. But something was wrong. The door was stuck. He pushed as hard as his five year old body would let him. But the door wouldn't move.

"M-Mommy?" he called out softly. He pushed on the door. "Mommy? Mommy, the door is stuck."

He waited for Mommy to come.

"Mommy?"

But she never did.

* * *

"Our vic is Mary Lewis," Don Flack explained to Danny Messer as Danny and Adam Ross stepped into the room. "The house is empty. Still jewelry in her drawers, money in her purse."

"Not a robbery, then," Adam stated the obvious. Flack glanced over at him. The look Flack was giving him made Adam cringe. _Okay, maybe I overstated the obvious_. He turned to the body, started snapping photos. The woman was young, maybe a little older than Adam himself. She had been pretty in life, big blue eyes, brown hair, full lips. Her facial features now, however, were marred by cuts, scrapes, black and blue marks and blood. Adam knelt down next to the body, and could feel himself turning green. He wasn't used to dealing with the bodies just yet. Just everything they left behind.

* * *

Flack watched the lab tech, then looked at Danny. "Kid's on field duty now?" Flack asked him.

Danny nodded. "Only his first or second scene since...well, you know."

Flack knew. Still, he felt like he was watching a rookie beat cop on his first tour. He ran a hand through his hair. "There's family photos with a guy in them. Super identified the guy as Jack Lewis, the husband. We're tryin' to track him down."

* * *

Adam heard the two detectives talking about him. He could feel his face turning from a sickly green to an embarrassed red. Was he that obvious? Looked like a rookie that bad? Flack seemed to have him pegged.

_Flack wasn't in there, Adam_, he reminded himself. _And it's not his fault your first solo scene turned into a hostage situation. _He remembered what Danny said that day. _I know you're scared_. Hell, that'd been the understatement of the damn year. But he also remembered afterward. Seeing Danny in the lab. _"Good job, kid,"_ _Danny had said. "You saved our asses in there." And Flack, too. "Good job," he said simply._ He didn't know Adam's name. But it was okay.

He returned his gaze to Mary Lewis. _I'll show them_, he decided. _I'll go over this place five times. I won't miss anything. I-_

The hair on the back of his neck stood up. The same feeling he'd gotten that day in the warehouse. Someone was watching him. "D-Danny," Adam said, cursing inwardly for letting his voice sound so shaky. He tried again. "Danny."

Danny came to stand beside him. "What'd you find, Adam?" he asked. To Adam's state of mind, Danny sounded a little condescending. But Adam ignored the feeling. "We need to move the body away from the closet. I can't see anything on her right side."

"No problem," Danny said. He bent down near Mary's head. Adam positioned himself near her waist. Danny caught Adam's eye. "Hey. You gotta relax, Adam. You're too young for an ulcer or somethin'. It's just an apartment. No Irish mobsters here," he said with a quiet but knowing smile.

It felt good to have someone who knew how he felt...sort of. Adam nodded. "No, I'm okay," he lied. They shifted Mary's body away from the closet. It was then that Adam saw it. A shoelace, just peeking out from under the closet door. And as he watched, it drew itself back into the depths of the closet.

"Danny," he said.

"I saw it," Danny replied. He slid Mary's body farther away. Adam reached over and pulled open the closet doors. "Jesus," Danny said.

The boy in the closet shrunk back and covered his face as he tried to crawl away from them. He looked like he hadn't eaten or bathed in a long time. He was wearing a pair of jeans, dirty white socks and a plain blue t-shirt. And he looked scared to death. "Danny, how long..."

"Nobody reported anything for a couple days. Guess shoutin' matches were the norm for the Lewis's," Danny said. "Super thought the kid was with Dad."

"God, Danny, he's been in here...and she was..." Adam looked at the boy again. He couldn't fathom what it must have been like for the kid.

_Actually, I can...a little..._

"Flack!" Danny yelled, standing. "Hey, we need EMS up here." He took off for the door.

Adam looked down at the boy. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was having a serious episode of déjà vu. He blinked and crouched down. "Hey, kid..." he took a breath. _What the hell do I say?_ "Uh, it's gonna be okay," he said. "The good guys...they're, ah, they're here. We're gonna have a doctor come check you out, and make sure that-that, uh, you're not hurt and stuff." He noticed the headphones connected to an iPod shuffle. "You, ah, like music?" he asked. He retrieved his own mp3 player from his pocket. "Me too." He offered the black mp3 player out to the boy to see. The boy peeked up from his knees and looked at it. "I like a lot of music. Sometimes...sometimes I listen to it and it, it makes me feel better."

It startled Adam when the boy jerked and looked up, directly into Adam's eyes. The boy had green eyes not unlike Adam's. Whatever Adam had said had struck a connection. "Tell you what. How about you put your headphones on, and you listen to music and we'll get you out of there."

The boy looked at Adam. Then his eyes drifted over to Mary Lewis's body. His eyes went wide, and before Adam could stop him, he crawled over to her and started shaking her, making small noises. Tears started falling as he shook her harder and harder. Adam finally had to step in. "Hey, hey," he said, picking the kid up and pulling him away. The boy struggled against him before finally falling limp in Adam's arms. Adam looked at the battery light. The unit was on, but the light was dark. The boy was out of battery power. The iPod player was...dead.

Adam reached over and grabbed his music player. He tucked the headphones in the boy's ears and pressed play. He wasn't sure what the boy was listening to, but it did seem to calm him down.

Music as an escape. Adam had used it once, too.

* * *

**Reviews are appreciated, and constructive criticism is usually warranted. Please let me know what you think.**

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Dude, I said _back off_," Adam hissed at the well-meaning paramedic who had come through the door at Danny and Flack's behest. The boy in the closet, who Danny tentatively identified as Ryan, the Lewis's son from family pictures, had seen the paramedic come in and immediately clamped onto Adam's vest with an iron grip.

"I need to check him out," the paramedic told Adam again, reaching forward again. Ryan whimpered and buried his face in Adam's shirt.

"Hey, we can do that at the lab," Danny offered. "Thanks, though," he said, giving the paramedic a look that read _Back off now, your services are no longer needed._ The paramedic got the hint and stalked away in a huff.

Adam gave Danny a grateful look. "Hey, it's okay, h-he's gone," he told the kid.

"Let's take him to Hawkes," Danny suggested. "Flack's trying to find his family. Not sure where Dad's at."

At the word 'dad,' Ryan looked up sharply at Adam, then buried his head in his shirt again.

Adam looked up at Danny. "I don't think Dad's who he wants to see," he deduced.

"Well, he's not gonna want to go anywhere with me," Danny said. "He seems attached to you, though. How about you take him to the lab, I'll finish processing."

"I can give you a ride back," Flack told Adam. He looked at Adam and the boy. Adam couldn't read his expression. _Does he think I'm wimping out? That I can't handle the scene on my own?_ _That he needs to babysit me? _But he looked at Ryan, and knew that he couldn't leave the kid with Danny even if he wanted to.

"Yeah, sounds good," Adam said, trying to sound as if he was reluctant to leave the scene. He tapped Ryan on the shoulder. "Hey. Buddy. Let's get you someplace safe, okay?" He wasn't sure if the boy could hear him with the music in, so he picked up Ryan and waited for a reaction. Ryan adjusted himself and stuck his nose in Adam's neck with his eyes closed.

"Guess we've got our answer. I'll see you in a few," Danny told Adam.

* * *

Ryan fell asleep in Adam's arms on the way back to the lab. The ride was completely silent. Flack stared straight ahead at the road. So did Adam, although every now and then he would glance down at the sleeping kid in his arms.

"Do, ah, you think his dad's the one who killed his mom?" Adam asked finally. He couldn't stand the silence. He couldn't take it anymore.

Flack seemed surprised the tech was talking to him. "Won't know for sure until we find him," he said.

Adam nodded. "Yeah, I knew that," he said quietly, returning his gaze to the boy. He had thick brown hair, his eyes had been green when they were open. Adam leaned his head back on the seat, looking at the roof of the car.

* * *

_Phoenix, Arizona_

_"Adam, hurry, put your shoes in your room." The tone in his mother's voice was a pitch above panic, but it was one Adam Ross was used to. He snatched up the pair of tennis shoes and sprinted as fast as his seven year old legs could take him. He threw them in his closet and slammed the door. As he came back down the hall, he heard the car door slam. "Mommy?"_

_"Go play downstairs, Adam," his mother said. "And don't come upstairs until I tell you to."_

_Adam had just hit the last stair when the front door slammed open. His father came in, swearing a four-letter blue streak. Adam tried to concentrate on his dinosaurs, but upstairs he could hear his daddy yelling at his mommy. Again. "Where in the hell is that good for nothing son of mine?" his father's booming voice demanded. "Adam!" _

_Adam closed his eyes. He didn't want to go upstairs. "ADAM ROSS! Get your scrawny ass up here right now!"_

_And he knew he had to. Because it was worse when Daddy decided to come downstairs after him._

_It always hurt more. Better to do what Daddy said._

* * *

"Hey," Flack's voice broke through. "We're here."

Adam blinked. "Yeah, okay." He popped the car door. "I-uh...thanks for the ride." He closed the door before Flack could reply. Flack sat behind the wheel for a few moments. He didn't know a lot about Adam Ross, he just realized. _Hell. Up until that day at the warehouse, I'll be damned if I remembered his name._ He decided to make it a point to talk with the kid more. He'd saved Danny's and two officer's butts that day, after all.

Maybe there was more to Adam Ross than what he was seeing.

* * *

Kendall Novak met him at the elevator. "Hey, Danny called us ahead," she said. "Is this him?"

Adam nodded. "Where is...um, where's Dr. Hawkes?"

"Right here," Sheldon Hawkes said, closely followed by Mac Taylor. "He's asleep," he noted.

"It hurts less when you sleep," Adam said softly. Then he looked at Mac and coughed. "Sorry. Yeah."

"Let's put him on the couch in my office," Mac suggested. "Adam, did you see any outward signs of bruising or bleeding?"

Adam shook his head. "No..no. Ryan just looked scared." He realized that wasn't a strong enough word. "Terrified."

"Where did you find him?" Kendall asked, running one hand down Adam's back, the other resting on Ryan's shoulders.

"In the closet. He couldn't get out..." Adam felt his face getting hot. "His mother's body was in front of the door...he couldn't get out."

"Oh, God," Kendall said softly. "That's awful."

Adam brushed past them all, leaving them staring in bewilderment as he placed the boy on the couch in Mac's office, his mp3 player still stuck to Ryan's ears. They didn't get it. None of them could. Truth was, Adam had been Ryan, once. A long time ago. Time he usually tried to forget. He turned the volume down on the mp3 player. Ryan didn't notice.

His mind drifted back to the scene. The car ride here. Silence. Ever since the warehouse bust, he needed noise. Silence was scary. Silence gave you too much time to think about...everything. He was tempted to pull the earphones from Ryan's ears- but no. Ryan needed it more right now.

"Adam," a voice said. Adam straightened. Mac was offering him a blanket for the boy. He accepted it and tucked it around the boy's shoulders. He looked so small. Adam placed a hand on the boy's back.

"Are you okay?" Mac's voice asked.

Adam jerked. "Uh...yeah. Fine." His tone said otherwise.

Mac got the hint. "I'll be back when he wakes up," he said.

"Thanks, Mac," Adam said quietly.

"You can explain it all to me later," Mac suggested.

Adam would...he just wouldn't tell everything.

Some things weren't ready to be told.

* * *

**Author's Note: I have to apologize for the delay between updates. It's gonna be a long ride, sadly. Add the additional frustration that I have a tempermental 'm' key that depending on the hour, wants Adam's name to be "Ada." I'm trying to get a feel for where this is going, so hang in there. I promise to try to make it worth the wait...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY, they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.**

**CHAPTER THREE**

_Phoenix_

_"Adam! Adam, sweetie, come over here!"_

_Five year old Adam came running as fast as his little legs would take him. "Mommy, I saw a rainbow!" he told her as he collapsed into her arms, nearly sending her to the picnic blanket._

_"Where did you see it?" his mother asked excitedly._

_He turned and pointed a short, stubby finger at the sky. "There!"_

_"Tell Daddy about the rainbow, Adam," his mother suggested._

_But Michael Ross wasn't interested. In fact, he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but where he was, on a picnic blanket with his wife and son on this 4__th__ of July weekend._

_Little Adam, though, was completely oblivious as he launched into a description of the rainbow- "I sawed a red, an' a blue, an' a 'lello and owange and..."_

* * *

As Adam reflected on the memory now, he was surprised at how oblivious he'd been back then. When he was five, his father did make halfhearted attempts, he realized now, things like tee ball, even if it wasn't really Adam's forte back then. He was in the midst of trying to remember where it had all gone so wrong when he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down into the green eyes of Ryan Lewis. "I hafta go," the boy whispered.

Adam gently removed the headphones from Ryan's ears. "After that, are you hungry?" he asked him. "We could go find a snack."

"Okay," the boy said quietly.

"You might want to have Sheldon look him over quick," Mac suggested from his office chair.

Adam and Ryan both jerked at the new voice. It was enough to send Ryan scuttling into Adam's vest again. Adam shot Mac a _Look._ "Sorry," Mac apologized. "Anyway, have Hawkes check him out. We probably should have taken him straight to the hospital, but with the way he was stuck to you, we would have had to surgically remove him," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem," Adam said, leading Ryan out into the hall, the little boy's hand clasped firmly in his own.

* * *

"What's our COD, Sid?" Danny Messer asked Sid Hammerback down in the morgue.

"Blunt force trauma to the head," Sid noted, taking apart his glasses. "This woman took a heck of a beating. She has several fractures and plenty of bruising." He looked at Danny. "I heard about the boy and Adam. How is he doing?"

"He was asleep, last time I saw him. Poor kid was stuck in the closet. His mother's body was jamming the doors. He was stuck in there," Danny explained. "Lucky whoever did this didn't bother to look in the closet."

"I'm glad the boy is all right, Danny," Sid said, "but I was actually querying about Adam."

Danny blinked. Then he nodded. "I think it's still tough," he said. "Adam took a hell of his own beating that day. He still jumps every time we're at an outdoor crime scene and someone interrupts him while he's processing." He looked at Sid. "Not that I can blame him." He flexed his fingers. "These still hurt to move. And sometimes...sometimes I have nightmares about that day."

"Lucky for Adam, you were there," Sid said.

Danny smiled shortly. "Lucky for me, _he_ was there. I'll talk to you later, Sid."

* * *

Hawkes and Kendall met Adam and Ryan outside the break room. Adam felt bad because he hadn't yet had the chance to talk to Kendall today. Lately he'd made it a point to tell her hello, talk to her, before he went to a crime scene. Today he'd gotten into the building and had been whisked immediately away with Danny. "Hi," Kendall said. She smiled down at Ryan. She knelt down to get on his level. Ryan clung to Adam's pant leg. "My name is Kendall. And I bet I can guess your name," she said. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Your name is...Fred."

Adam played along. "Is that your name, buddy? Is your name Fred?" he asked Ryan.

Ryan shook his head fiercely. "Guess not," he told Kendall. He rubbed Ryan's hair with his hands. "You know, she used to be pretty good at this. Should we give her one more try?"

They waited for the reaction. Then Ryan peeked out at the blonde woman and nodded slowly. Kendall smiled. "Okay. One more time. I bet I get it right this time." She closed her eyes and touched Ryan's shoes. Then she touched her nose. "Your name is...Ryan!"

The little boy's curiosity came out. "How did you know?" he asked her.

Kendall opened her eyes and smiled as Hawkes and Adam exchanged a grin. "I'm a good guesser," she said. "My name is Kendall. It's nice to meet you." She offered a hand to the boy. After a moment, he took it and shook her hand one time.

Ryan looked up at Hawkes. "Who are you?" he asked the doctor.

"My name is Doctor Hawkes," Hawkes explained. "Would it be okay if I checked you out, and make sure you don't have any dinosaurs in you?"

Adam glanced sideways at Kendall. _That's a new one_, he mouthed.

Kendall shrugged. She'd never seen _this_ approach before.

Ryan was looking at the doctor skeptically. "Dinosaurs?" he asked in disbelief. "Dinosaurs are too big to be in me!"

"He's got a point there," Adam couldn't resist.

"Really?" Hawkes said. His hand reached toward Ryan and came next to the boy's ear. "Then how did _this_ get in there?" he asked, flicking his fingers and producing a small plastic dinosaur.

Adam's eyes went wide. "How did you _do_ that?" he demanded.

"I'll show you if you let me listen to your heartbeat," Hawkes said. Adam picked up Ryan and set him down on the break room table. Hawkes produced his stethoscope and carefully listened to the boy breathe while Adam turned over the yellow stegosaurus in his hand. Finally, Hawkes stood up and smiled. "Everything sounds just fine," he pronounced. "He's good to go." He handed Ryan another dinosaur. "For being a good patient," he told the boy. He smiled at Adam and Kendall. "I'll see the two of you later," he said. "Bye, Ryan."

"Bye!" Ryan said, his concentration on his new toys. Then he looked at Adam. "Where is my snack?" he asked him.

Kendall burst out laughing as Adam turned red. He wasn't used to babysitting! "Yeah, Adam, you gonna let the kid starve?" she asked. "What would you like, kiddo?" she asked the boy.

He shrugged. "I dunno." He bit his lower lip. "Can I have chocolate?"

"Chocolate?" Kendall grinned at Adam. "Sounds like my kind of man!"

Adam looked at her. She grinned. "Sorry, you know I've got a thing for younger men."

He rolled his eyes. "Uh huh, yeah, that's, ah, that's cute."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Danny took the magnifying glass to Adam's crime scene photos. With Adam preoccupied with Ryan Lewis, Danny had mostly taken over the case. One of his pictures slid off onto the floor, and he bent down to retrieve it. He gripped the lab table as he knelt down...and involuntarily cried out. Pain shot up his arm. He'd made the mistake of gripping the table with his still-healing fingers. He jerked his hand down and gently straightened his fingers out again, wincing. It had been almost two months since the warehouse fiasco. He was somewhat ignoring doctor's orders to splint his fingers. He needed both hands to do his job, and the patch job he'd done at the warehouse had been good enough for him.

Or at least it had been. He might have to suck it up and not use his hand for a while.

Two hands appeared in front of him, one to grab the stray photo, and the other to gently place her hand on his arm. "Hey. Are you okay?" Lindsay Monroe's voice asked.

"Yeah, sorta forgot a semiautomatic stepped on my fingers," Danny grimaced. He gingerly stood up. Lindsay placed the photo back on the table. "What are you up to?" he asked, the pain somewhat subsiding.

"Working a case with Stella and Mac," Lindsay shrugged. "Do you have anyone who looks good for yours on your end?"

"We still can't find Jack Lewis, and right now, he's on my list. He doesn't answer his cell phone and apparently hasn't been home, we've had a uniform keeping an eye on the place," Danny explained.

"How about the kid?" Lindsay asked.

"Haven't seen much of him; I think he's permanently attached to Adam's shirt," Danny said. "Gotta tell you, seeing Adam with a kid, not exactly something I thought I'd ever see."

"Ran into Hawkes, asked him about the kid today, Hawkes said he's talking, and almost the picture of health," Lindsay said.

"That's good," Danny said. His eyes drifted across a picture of the body, with the closet doors in the back. "Take a look at this, Montana. I can't imagine what that kid went through. He was in here," Danny said, pointing to the doors.

"Oh God...and his mother was..." Lindsay absently ran a hand down Danny's back. "I can't imagine."

"The stuff of nightmares," Danny agreed. He looked over at Lindsay, realized she was lost in another world. Her fingers were lightly tracing his own healing ones. "Montana."

"It should have been me," Lindsay murmured. She looked at him. "It should have been me in there."

Danny looked around the lab, then to her. "Listen to me," he said, tilting her chin with his finger. "Nothin' you can do about it now. I for one am glad it wasn't you."

"I heard you talking in your sleep," Lindsay said quietly. "You still have nightmares about it. Those are my fault. I should've been in there."

"Montana, this is not your fault. I ain't gonna say it again," Danny told her firmly. "I'm just glad you came over there after me." He smiled. "Flack needed all the smart people out there. I wouldn't trust my life to some rookie out there with an itchy trigger finger," he said with a smile. He saw the corner of her mouth twitch. "I'm glad it was me, and not you. I don't think I could've lived with myself if..." he stopped and hugged her, not caring if anyone saw. He pulled away and looked at her. "Better?"

Lindsay nodded. "I think so."

"We'll get through this," Danny told her.

She believed it...sort of.

* * *

Flack tapped on Mac Taylor's door. Mac motioned him in with his free hand-the other was holding the phone. Flack mouthed _Where's Danny_?

Mac pointed down the hall. Flack nodded and left his office, going in search of his friend. He finally found him and Lindsay hunched over a pile of pictures. "Danno. Get your game face on. Jack Lewis is downstairs."

Danny looked up. "Where'd you find him?"

Flack grinned. "We didn't...he returned to the scene of the crime," he said.

Danny looked at Lindsay. "Could you-"

"I'll finish looking over your crime scene photos," Lindsay volunteered.

Flack pretended not to notice the look that passed between the two of them, the gentle touch Lindsay had on Danny's arm.

* * *

Lindsay returned to the pictures. Something was out of place in the photos, but she couldn't place what. She methodically looked them over, inch by inch, scouring one photo completely before moving on to the next one.

She was hunched over them when an elated Stella Bonasera came into Trace, holding a printout aloft. "I got our DNA results back, and it's...Lindsay?"

Lindsay blinked and looked up. "Stella. Hi," she said absently.

"What are you looking at, kiddo?" Stella asked, coming around the table.

"What? Oh, these are the crime scene photos from Danny and Adam's case. There's something out of place in these pictures, Stel, I just can't put my finger on it."

"Hey," Stella said. She put a hand on Lindsay's shoulder, making her look up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lindsay tried.

Stella knew better. "The look on your face and the tone of voice is not 'nothing,'" she said. "What's up?"

"I don't know," Lindsay said finally. "I really don't. It's so stupid."

"Try me," Stella said gently.

Lindsay said nothing for a few moments. Then, finally, "Every time Danny gets called out..." She looked up at Stella helplessly.

"Oh. You worry," Stella said. "Lindsay, that's going to happen for a while. I know how close you two are. I'm the same way around Mac."

"Really."

"It's natural when you work with someone for so long. When that building exploded two years ago...I was a wreck. I didn't have time to worry. It all hit me later, after we made the arrest, though. And then every time Mac got called to a scene..." She shrugged. "It gets easier. I know what you're going through. If you need someone to talk to..." She trailed off, something in the crime scene photos catching her attention.

"Stella?" Lindsay asked.

"I know what's throwing you off in these pictures," Stella said. She slid one of Mary Lewis under the glass. "Look at her arms. Notice anything?"

It finally clicked, and Lindsay couldn't believe they'd missed it before. "Stella, there are no defensive wounds there." She looked up. "With the beating she got, you would think-"

"Sometimes all you can do is take it," Stella said quietly. "If it was the norm in the house..."

Lindsay looked out to see Adam and Ryan walking by. Ryan was talking animatedly, and Adam looked very lost and bewildered. "His father is downstairs," she told Stella. "You think..."

"Let's hope Flack gets something from him," Stella said, quiet anger etching her voice.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing and putting me on alert. Real life has been a bit crazy lately, and my plot bunny is currently hiding under my bed, refusing to come out til it calms down a little. Bear with me. Reviews are usually warranted and always appreciated (and always taken into account, I had a request for some Stella, so I tried to put her in).**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.**

**Author's Note: Thank you for reviewing! And much thanks to _lily moonlight_ for the chocolate carrot idea, my plot bunny thanks you! Thanks also to _lily moonlight_ for helping me work through some plot issues.**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"I want to see my son."

_Like hell_, Danny thought to himself. "He's asleep," Danny lied. "Kid had a rough couple of days."

"Speakin' of the last coupla days," Flack jumped in, "where were you, Jack? Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"I was on a lake with my dad upstate," Jack Lewis responded. "I don't get service up there in the mountains." He looked at the two detectives. "Mary knew I was going up there."

"Well, Mary couldn't exactly _tell_ us that, Jack," Flack said, thrusting the picture from Autopsy forward.

Lewis recoiled. "Good God..." he whispered. His fingers traced the outline of Mary Lewis's face. "My Mary..." He looked up at Flack, his face red, and tears collecting at the corners of his eyes. "Wh...what happened?" he choked out.

"Someone beat her to death, Jack," Danny replied. "They hit her so hard right here-" here he turned around and tapped the base of his head where it met the neck- "that they stopped her systems cold." He slammed his hands down on the table, making Lewis jump. "What are the odds I match your fists to those bruises on her, Jack?"

Lewis slammed the table back. "That's ridiculous!" he sputtered. "I would never hit my wife! I wasn't even home!" He looked at Flack pleadingly. "Detectives, I didn't _do_ this! Where...what about Ryan? Where is my son?"

"Child Protective Services," Danny lied again. "We couldn't find anyone for him to stay with."

"That's because I was upstate with his only set of grandparents!" Lewis informed them. "Mom and Dad don't have cell service up there!"

"We tried calling, too, Jack," Flack cut in. "They never answered their land line, either."

"Maybe you haven't been watching the news, guys," Jack tried to tell them, "but there was a big lightning storm, knocked out power. I tried calling home last night and couldn't get anyone! I got scared and cut my trip early!"

"You know what, Jack?" Danny said. "Maybe I believe you. Would ya mind giving me a cast of your fist?"

He looked at Danny, confused. "What?"

Danny produced the shoebox of foam. "Stick your fist in there," he said. "I bet I match your fist and fingers to the bruise on the back of your wife's head."

Then, to both of the detective's surprise, Jack Lewis burst into tears. "Y-you all d-don't understand!" he said. "I-I c-could nev-never! I-I w-wouldn't!" Then he offered Danny his hand, balled into a fist. "G-go a-ahead, take the c-cast." He shook his head. "But there's a l-lot of people who have the same size hands as me, Detective." He looked at Danny as he wiped his eyes. "Can I see my son? When can I take him home?"

"Consider yourself a person of interest, Mr. Lewis," Flack said. "I can hold you for 48 hours. Enjoy your stay." With that, Flack and Danny left the room. They came around to the other side of the two-way glass, where Mac Taylor was standing. He'd watched the proceedings with interest.

"I gotta get this cast upstairs," Danny said. He tapped the box as he turned to leave.

"Danny."

He _hated _it when Mac got that tone in his voice. He slowly turned around. Mac was looking at him and Flack and his eyes read only one thing- disappointment. "Everything needs to be backed up by science," was all he said.

Danny got the hint.

* * *

"Hey, you," Kendall said as she slid up next to Adam in DNA. "Where's your shadow?"

"Uh...asleep in Mac's office again," Adam said. He sighed. "I don't remember having that much energy when I was a kid."

Kendall smiled knowingly. "No wonder he picked you to hold on to," she said. She ran a hand down his back a few times. "You know, you always told me you were gonna tell me about your early days," she began carefully. She felt him stiffen under her fingertips. "I'm thinking now might be a good time to start."

"Kendall...not now," Adam said. "I just...no, not now."

She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine...don't you think Mac would consider you too close to this case?" she said.

He glared at her. "W-What exactly are you implying, Kendall?" he demanded. "You think I can't stay objective here?"

"I never said that," Kendall defended herself. "What I said was, you might be too close. I'm saying it _might_ affect your work."

He stepped away from her. Her hand remained suspended in midair for a second before she dropped it to her side. "I'm not ready to talk to you about it."

She took a breath. "Fine," she said quietly. "I'll be around if you need me, if not, I have some Trace to run for Stella and Lindsay."

He heard her heels click on the tile floor as she walked away. He tried to go back to the hair they'd found on Mary Lewis's body that didn't belong to her. But he couldn't concentrate. His mind drifted.

* * *

_Phoenix_

_"The square root of-"_

_THUNK. Yelling._

_Adam stopped running through his math homework and listened. Something hit the wall he shared with his parents' bedroom. It sounded like a tennis shoe. He heard his parents yelling again._

_He thought he'd be used to it after ten years. Half the time it was the same argument. He could almost recite it along with them. Another shoe hit the wall. This time it was one of his mom's heels._

_Depressing, that he could discern the difference._

_He wondered where it had all gone wrong. Dad had used to take him to tee ball, had used to want to go on Boy Scout camping trips. He even bought him that science kit for his eighth birthday. Mom and Dad still fought during that time, but it hadn't seemed bad for those first few years. Just lately, it had escalated to the point where the neighbors called the cops and Adam learned to wear sunglasses some days to class. Then of course, he got in trouble for wearing the shades in school and ended up with detention when he refused to take them off. Which only made Dad less impressed with him._

_"...sleepin' around with that damned-"_

_Adam rolled his eyes. Even if his mother _wanted_ to have an affair, she never had the time. Dad had gotten fired, again, the second time inside of two years, which left Mom to work two jobs and take care of the house. She never had time for herself, no matter how hard Adam tried to help her out._

_WHAM. THUNK.._

_Adam blinked. That was a new sound. Cautiously, he got up from his desk and went over to the door. He peeked his head out. His Dad was yelling again, but he couldn't see his mother. Then, as he stuck his head farther out, he saw his father was yelling at something on the floor. "Mom?" Adam couldn't help but choke out. He stepped into their doorway. His mother was on the floor, crying._

_And then his father saw him standing in the doorway._

* * *

The hand on his shoulder made him jerk.

He swore, and looked up to see Mac standing there. _Whoops_. "Boss," Adam managed.

"Sorry," Mac said, studying him. "You all right?"

"I-yeah," Adam said, trying to steady his breathing. "I'm okay."

Just then, his computer beeped with the results of his foreign hair. He glanced over and frowned. "Cat hair?" He looked at Mac. "The Lewis's didn't have a cat, and the building they lived in was no pets."

"So who has the cat?" Mac asked him.

"Maybe one of Ryan's friends?" Adam wondered.

"You can ask him when he wakes up," Mac said. "Danny and Flack have his father downstairs. They're holding him as a person of interest." He looked at Adam. "Have you found anything that suggests he did it?"

Adam slowly shook his head. "Nothing physical, anyway. Danny said something about comparing a fist cast."

"That won't be enough to pin him," Mac said. "If you can't find anything...we'll have to release Ryan to his custody."

Adam's heart dropped to his stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Adam slid into Mac's office, where Ryan Lewis hadn't moved from all day. Stella had been by earlier, dropped off a sandwich and a bottle of juice, but had reported to Adam the boy hadn't touched much of it. Adam had given the boy his own mp3 player so he could charge the batteries in Ryan's. The boy was curled up on Mac's couch. His eyes were open, but unfocused. As his gaze settled on Adam, he sat up. "Hi," he said quietly.

The boy had been so chipper with him only an hour before. He went through high and low periods. Adam knew the feeling. When he'd been a kid, coming home and throwing a ball with his father had been the happiest moments in the world, only to be dashed against the rocks moments later. That emotional rollercoaster was hard on a kid. He could relate with the boy all too well.

He wasn't sure if it was a combination of losing his job or something else that caused his father's mood to change so quickly. Noting that Ryan was still awaiting a response, Adam shoved the thoughts from his mind. "Hey, Ryan," he said. "What are you listening to now?"

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know, but Mommy would never let me listen to this song."

Despite the tone in Ryan's voice, Adam turned scarlet and quickly thumbed the next track button. "Then we probably shouldn't let you listen to it now, buddy."

"I want my Mommy," Ryan said softly, tears welling in his green eyes.

"Buddy, I know," Adam said. "I know." He put a hand around the boy's small shoulders. "Ryan...do you know who might have hurt your mommy?" Adam asked him slowly.

Instead of answering the question, Ryan burst into tears. Adam grimaced. He really wasn't good at this sort of thing. But he knew, somewhere locked in Ryan's mind might be the answer to the whole case. But Adam couldn't force it from him. He knew what would happen- the boy would become more withdrawn.

_And yet they had to know..._

"Hey, Adam."

Adam jumped again and cursed himself for doing so. He looked up to see Danny Messer standing in the doorway. Danny crossed the room and sat down next to Adam. "How's he doin'?"

"I...I don't know," Adam said. "Ups and downs, all day."

"Poor kid. His dad is downstairs," Danny said. "Tried to feed us some story about being upstate completely cut off from contact. I say he's BS-ing us."

"What does the, ah, the evidence from the scene suggest?" Adam asked curiously. He felt very out of the loop, and like an idiot for ditching Danny on the case.

Danny shrugged. "I dunno," he said finally. "I want to pin it on this guy, but we got nothin' to go on." He ruffled the boy's hair. Ryan peeked up at him, then buried his face in Adam's familiar vest. "Listen, I've been meanin' to ask you..." He looked at Adam now. "Has Mac suggested you go talk to the department shrink?"

"A couple of times," Adam said.

"But you haven't gone," Danny said.

"No. I've been so busy..." Adam trailed off.

Danny gave him a knowing smile. "Yeah, I get that," he said.

"Have _you_?" Adam asked him.

Danny shook his head. "No, not yet." He sighed. "We should go, though."

"Danny, that shrink wasn't there. There's no way he could know...that he could have any _idea_-" Adam finally burst out. He'd been holding it back for so long, and with the Lewis case now, had hardly had any time to think about it. "He'll take one look at me and..." Adam trailed off.

"And what?" Danny pressed. Adam only looked away, out Mac's window, at his computer, anywhere but at Danny. "Adam, I was there, okay, buddy? You're right; that guy couldn't have a freakin' clue what the hell we went through." He realized his voice was getting louder, and he lowered his tone. "But we can't not talk about it," he said. "We have to."

Adam held up his hand. The scars from the cigarette burns inflicted on his hands in the warehouse that day were still visible. "I let them take my badge. I handed them the garage and the lab codes. I just...I just _sat_ there."

"Adam, is that really what this is about? You think that shrink's gonna tell you you were a coward for just sittin' there an' takin' it?" Danny's accent grew thicker as he spoke faster. "If he tells you that I'll nail him in the jaw for ya. You're not a detective, Adam, you're not trained for that sorta stuff. It probably doesn't make it any easier for ya to hear me say this, but you did exactly what you shoulda done to be sittin' here right now." He shook his head. "Personally, I consider _you_ the hero of the day, Adam."

"Yeah," Adam scoffed. "Hand over the key to the city."

"Lemme finish. You got up outta that truck. You got that kit. Even when you were scared beyond all reason. You got up outta that truck, and you got what saved our asses. Hell, you even saved those two beat cop boys. I was there, Adam. You're the hero. And I wouldn't testify to anythin' different." He smiled. "You're stronger than you think you are, Adam." He looked at Ryan, who was listening to the two of them with curious eyes. "And that kid right there? That's the proof. And the person that stares back at you in the mirror? That's more proof right there."

Adam looked down at Ryan, who looked back up at him with innocent green eyes. He looked at Danny. "So...do you know when that shrink is in his office?"

Danny nodded knowingly. "I've been there so many times that I got it memorized. Let me know what works for you, and we'll go together?"

Adam let out his breath and returned the nod. "Yeah. Yeah, sounds good."

Danny's pager beeped. He looked down. "Flack needs me downstairs. How 'bout after work, you and I, we go grab a cold one?"

"Thought that was your standing date with Flack?" Adam said, his humor returning.

The detective grinned. "It is, but I'm inviting you to crash."

"I don't know; I'm not sure Flack likes me."

"He likes you. He just doesn't like that you're smarter than he is. And better looking. We're meetin' at eight-thirty," Danny replied with a smile. "See you there."

It felt good to know he didn't have to go through it alone. Adam looked down at Ryan. _Maybe if I open up with him...he'll open up to me?_

* * *

**Author's Note: This whole angsty/serious thing is a new twist for me. Am I doin' okay? Constructive criticism is usually warranted and always appreciated...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.**

CHAPTER SEVEN

Flack wanted nothing more than to haul the man sitting across from him in the interrogation room against the wall and beat him senseless until he gave up what they wanted.

Flack had had years of training in knowing when someone was lying. They would sweat. Their eyes would get wide, and they'd look at anyone but you. They would fidget. They would repeat themselves.

Jack Lewis wasn't lying to him. Either that or he was very good at hiding it.

"Seems there's probably a lot you're good at hiding, Jack," Flack cut into his thoughts. "For instance, you don't seem to be lyin' to me. How about you tell me about your cat?"

Lewis frowned. "W-We don't have a cat. Our building doesn't allow pets."

"What about any relatives? Any of Ryan's friends? Any cat lovers in that bunch?"

"Detective...my wife was beaten senseless. My son is in protective custody. And you're asking me about a nonexistent cat?" Lewis spread his hands wide. "I don't understand."

"Your wife had cat hair on her." Flack watched Lewis's face intently. The news meant absolutely nothing to the man in front of him.

"You think whoever killed her had a cat?" Lewis asked curiously.

"You want to trade jobs?" Flack shot back. "'Cause, see, my job is to ask the questions. Your job is to shut up over there unless you're going to help me out."

"Detective, _I didn't kill my wife_!"

"Then how about you tell me who did!?"

Lewis was silent. Flack tried to read him-to see if he was going to tell him a tall tale or the whole truth. Then Lewis spoke. "Ben does."

"And who's this, now?"

"Ben Balent. Ben...lives across the street. He and my wife work together down at the supermarket. She's known Ben since they were kids. Ben's buildings allow pets, and Ben's got some kind of long-haired furball."

"So he and your wife got along pretty well?" Flack asked, feeling the water.

Lewis nodded. "_Really_ well." He stopped short.

"How well is _really_ well, Jack?" Flack pressed.

"There were a couple of times...I thought the two of them..." Lewis searched for the right words. "They might have...you know."

Flack rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Jack, what is this, the third grade? They had _sex_. You're a big boy, you can say it."

"I don't know if they did!" Jack burst out. "But I wondered..."

_Great. This just got a helluva lot more complicated than it already was_. Suddenly, Don Flack was furious with Adam Ross. The damn tech needed to get the kid to talk, already. Part of him hated himself for thinking it. The part of him that was a damn good detective overrode the other.

* * *

Kendall stared at the phone in her hand. Never, not in eight years of med school, not in almost six months with the crime lab, had something confused her as much as the text message she was looking at right now.

_Stel's office. 5min._ _–A_

"I don't get you," she muttered to her phone.

Was he finally ready to explain everything? And she did mean _everything_.

It had stung, what he'd said earlier. The whole "I'm not ready to talk to you" thing. Because she wanted him to be. She had no idea, not exactly, what exactly the two of them _were_. Were they one night at his apartment six months ago...shameless flirting involving chocolate? Were they only just competitors for points when it came to solving cases?

She was pretty sure they were more. But if they were more...then how come he wouldn't open up to her? He'd quizzed her on her entire life's story in the past six months. And yet all she had gathered about him was that he had his master's degree, he was a complete and utter goofball...and every time she would ask him something about when he was a kid, he would respond, "Later," and dodge the question with utter goofballness.

And then, a little over two months ago...his entire life had stopped. Kendall had been on vacation when it happened. Nobody had called, nobody had said anything. But then...nobody knew about her and Adam. If there was a 'her and Adam.'"

She was so confused. And annoyed. And maybe even a little...

_Scared_.

She looked at her watch. Two minutes had passed. She stepped out of Trace and directly into Sheldon Hawkes. "Dr. Hawkes!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry."

Hawkes brushed it off with an easygoing smile. "No problem. You in a hurry to get somewhere?"

"Uh..." She wasn't sure how much she should say.

He dropped his voice to a whisper. "It's okay. I got the same message. Do you have any idea what's going on? I know you're pretty close."

Kendall shrugged limply as she tagged along behind Hawkes. Then it occurred to her what he'd just said. _Huh. So someone _had _noticed whatever she and Adam had._ She wasn't surprised it was Hawkes. Hawkes always seemed to be in tune with everyone. _Maybe if someone else noticed there was something...there _was_ something? _She let herself enjoy a half-smile as she walked into Stella's office behind Hawkes...and stopped short in surprise as Danny, Lindsay, Mac and Stella looked up. They were all gathered around Stella's speaker phone.

Kendall heard Lindsay ask Danny, "What's going on?"

He shook his head. "I don't know.

Then the red light on Stella's phone toned she had an interoffice call from Mac's office. She pressed the button and waited.

* * *

"Hey kiddo. Wake up for a second."

Adam gently shook Ryan Lewis's shoulder. The boy blinked a few times, then opened his green eyes and rubbed a hand over them. "I was sleeping," he complained.

"I know buddy. But you and I...we need to talk."

"I don' wanna," Ryan said.

Adam smiled shortly. _Neither do I_. "Okay, then, kiddo. You just listen. I'll talk."

Ryan seemed content by that and adjusted himself so he was leaning against Adam's chest. Adam timidly raised a hand and held it a few inches above the boys' hair, then slowly dropped it so it was resting on top of Ryan's head. The boy didn't move.

"Ryan...when I was a kid..." Adam glanced over at the phone, which he knew was on intercom, broadcasting his call to Stella Bonasera's office. There was no turning back now. "My dad..."

'Dad' seemed to be the buzz word around Ryan. Adam felt the boy tense up. To Adam, that was enough evidence that Jack Lewis was guilty of _something_. "My dad was kind of a jerk. A bully. He would get mad a lot. He lost his job a few times, and he'd always come home and be really upset."

He felt Ryan's heart pick up pace. The boy's voice was quiet when he said, "Your daddy, too?"

"Yeah. Is your daddy like that sometimes?"

A pause. Then, under Adam's hand, a slow nod.

"Sometimes my dad would get really mad at us for things we didn't even do. He said my mom..." _How do I phrase this so he can understand?_... "My mom would spend a lot of time at her friend's house. Her friend was a boy. My dad thought maybe she loved him more than she loved my dad."

"My daddy said that once, too," Ryan whispered.

* * *

Don Flack charged out of the elevator, collaring a tech on his way by. "Mac Taylor," he groused. Jack Lewis had put him in a mood. It was a good thing he had drinks with Danny after shift tonight. It would calm him down.

The tech pointed. "Some kind of meeting in Detective Bonasera's office," he stuttered out. Flack let the kid go and proceeded down the hall to Stella's office. "That guy Lewis-" he began, but stopped midsentence when he saw the crowd inside. And then he heard what they were listening to.

* * *

Adam plopped the boy on his lap as he continued. "My dad...he was a mean guy for a long time. Sometimes..." Adam took a breath. He knew his coworkers suspected what he was about to say, ever since the shoplifter case. "Sometimes my dad would get so mad he would hurt me and my mom." He bit his lip. He looked down, directly into Ryan's sharp green eyes.

"Ryan...does your dad ever hurt you?" Then he waited.

Ryan considered the question. And then, to Adam and everyone else's dismay, he shook his head.

"It's okay, you know," Adam tried. "You can tell us."

Ryan shook his head fervently.

Adam leaned his head back against the couch. Just like in the warehouse that day; he'd hit rock bottom. He'd failed.

* * *

**Author's Note: I apologize for the delay between updates. Writer's block is killing me. This is not the way I wanted this chapter to end. I have scenarios planned out that it needed to happen this way, but I'm not all that happy with it. I hate leaving Adam like that. And trust me, Flack will _not_ be a happy guy. Hope that doesn't deter you from wanting the next chapter. I will try to get the next one up soon.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Thanks for sticking with me. There's for sure one or two chapters after this. I might try for an even ten. Much and many thanks to lily moonlight for keeping me motivated. Without her tacking "PS" to the bottom of all her review replies, this story would be so far on the back burner...Also, HUGE thanks to everybody that reviewed last chapter. Nice to know people are hanging in there.**

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Everyone filed out of Stella's office in silence. Stella Bonasera's mind was thrown backwards in time to the day she figured out her foster father was abusing her sister. _That poor kid. He's scared to talk_. She knew how he felt.

Danny and Lindsay held each other's hands as they stepped outside. Lindsay remembered the misplaced guilt she'd felt that night in the diner. _This is not your fault, Adam_, she thought to herself. She squeezed Danny's hand tighter. He looked down at her, knowing the pain in Adam's voice all too well. He knew to Adam this must feel like another failure. Another black mark on the record of a should-be hero. _Even the heroes get down sometimes, buddy. But they always win out in the end._

Mac Taylor caught Flack outside. Flack was fighting emotions, Mac could tell. The detective wanted to haul the boy to interrogation. The friend wanted to pick Adam off the ground. "Anything?" Mac asked, though he knew the answer just by looking at Flack's tired face.

"Now he's tellin' me he thinks Mary Lewis was having an affair," Flack said. "Said the guy-Ben Balent-has a cat. He thinks that's how the cat hair got on his wife's body." He sighed. "So...I dunno. Wife's having an affair, and then either Jack kills her for having the affair, or Ben kills her for not leaving her husband?"

"Don't assume, Flack," Mac chastised him. "That won't help you any."

"I can't figure this guy out, Mac," Flack said, sitting down. "The crazies, the guys with no motive? Them I can handle. But this guy...he unnerves the hell out of me. He's too damned calm."

"That either means two things," Mac said. "Unfortunately, it either means he's too smart and leading us on a goose chase, or-"

"Or he's innocent," Flack cut in.

"Or he's innocent," Mac agreed. He looked at his watch. "How long you been in there with him?"

"Lost track," Flack confessed.

"Heard you've got plans with Danny tonight."

"Drinks at Sullivan's," Flack replied. "Our usual for the week."

"I'm not your supervisor. I can't make you go take a break," Mac said. He put a hand on Flack's shoulder. "But I can strongly suggest it as a friend."

Flack looked at his watch. "Mac, I feel like I've only got a few hours left with this guy. I need to crack him. I need to find something." He looked at Mac. "You and I both know that if the kid goes home with him..."

"You're assuming, again," Mac cut in. "Stop."

"Mac-"

Mac glared at him. This was _not_ where he'd wanted this conversation to go. "No. Let my guys upstairs handle Jack Lewis. The evidence will nail him if he's guilty. I'll get Lindsay to go visit Ben Balent."

"Hours, Mac." Flack reminded him.

Mac nodded as he pulled out his phone. "It's all we're going to need." As he dialed Lindsay, Flack's phone buzzed in his pocket. "Yeah, Flack..._What?_"

* * *

"Hey."

Adam looked up to see Danny standing in the doorway again. It was becoming a familiar routine. "That went well, huh?" Adam said. "I screwed up again. How pissed is Flack with me right now?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "This self-pity thing has gotta stop, Adam," he said. "Damn it, you're not a detective. This isn't your job."

"I thought...I thought maybe if I showed him he wasn't alone..." Adam shrugged. "So not only did he not say anything, but I poured out my sob story to the entire world."

"It's about time," a female voice said from the door. Adam jerked, and looked up to see Kendall standing there. It was obvious she had been crying. In two strides, she crossed over and sat down next to him. She threw her arms around him. "I've been waiting for you to do this for a long time," she said.

Danny stood. "Nobody thinks any less of you, Adam," he said. "If anything, we couldn't be prouder. It took a hell of a lot of guts to do what you did."

"Our 48 hours are almost up," Adam pointed out, his mind on the case. A twinge in his heartbeat reminded him that Kendall was sitting next to him, rubbing his shoulder. But one step at a time.

"Lindsay is going to talk with another potential suspect," Danny said. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "Leave it to the professionals."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Hey, don't forget. You, me, Flack, Sullivan's in a couple hours."

"I don't want-"

"Ryan will be fine with Stella and Mac," Danny said. "The kid will make it for a couple hours without you. See you in a couple hours." His tone left no room for negotiation. He left the room.

* * *

Awkward silence. Finally, Adam turned to Kendall. "So...I probably should apologize, huh?"

"For what?" Kendall asked him, resting her head on his shoulder. One hand drifted over to Ryan's head. The boy was out again.

"For not telling you sooner. For dodging. For not...for letting that get in the way of us."

She looked up at him. "So...there's an 'us'?" she asked quietly.

"I hope so," Adam replied.

"You know, you're my hero, Adam Ross," Kendall said. "You are smart, funny, brave, just like all those guys, minus the spandex." She nudged him with her head, and he finally smiled. "You overcame adversity to become a great man. That's how it is for any of those cape-wearing superheroes. You use your talents for helping others."

"Yeah, I guess I _am_ pretty much a superhero, huh," Adam grinned. "I even get the girl." He looked up at her, flushed red. "I _do_ get the girl...right?"

"Of course you do, stupid." She grinned. "As long as I get to solve crime right next to you. I will _not_ be your damsel in distress."

"Too bad," Adam heard himself say. "Cause that part of the movie's always my favorite." He looked at her in alarm, afraid he'd pushed it too far.

She grinned. "Let's make it a point for you to save me sometime soon," she said. "I'm liking this alter ego of yours."

Just then, Flack came into the room. "Adam." His face was hot, and his tone of voice was hard. "I need to talk to you. Right now."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of "CSI:NY," they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.**

**Author's Note: Up earlier than I expected, so thank iheartcsinewyork. Most likely one more chapter to go. And I used what any good author has-"creative liberty" with this chapter. Nitpick it all you want, but it had to happen this way. Just letting you know. Minor swearing.**

**CHAPTER NINE**

"No."

The boy was looking up at him with scared eyes. "I don't wanna go!" he cried.

Adam's heart was breaking. It sunk to his stomach again in protest. The hand Kendall had on his shoulder wasn't doing enough to comfort him.

"Flack," Adam began. "I mean...h-he can't..."

"Apparently, Lewis used his one phone call to hire one slick sonofabitch lawyer. I don't know how they got around it, Adam. But there's nothing we-"

"Damn it, Flack!" Adam said, untangling himself from Ryan's deathgrip and, doing something very un-Adam like, he grabbed Flack's jacket sleeve and pulled him into the hallway. "How in the _hell_ could this happen? Damn it, Flack, you and I _both_ know if that kid goes with his dad..."

"I know!" Flack said, pulling Adam's hand from his jacket. "I know it! But I can't do anything!"

Adam looked into the taller man's eyes. "Don't make him go," he pleaded. "Don't let them do this."

Flack's face was pained. "Adam...I don't have a choice."

Adam turned back into Mac's office. Ryan was visibly shaking. "That's _not_ good enough evidence?" he demanded. "Flack, that kid is terrified, okay? I know the signs. I _lived_ his _life_!"

"If we can't get him to say anything...there's no bruises, nothing on the kid."

"Lie! Say he's with the precinct shrink!"

"I'm against the wall, Adam! There's nothing I can do!" Flack yelled. He glared at the tech, and Adam thought for sure he was gonna start throwing punches. The two of them stared at each other. Adam was a few inches shorter than Flack, but he met his gaze.

"What the_ hell_ is going on out here?" Danny barked. He and Hawkes had just come from DNA after hearing the commotion.

Both men turned to Danny, faces red-Flack's from frustration...Adam's from defeat.

"Lewis got himself lawyered up," Flack said shortly. "He's on his way up to take the kid home with him."

"_What?!"_ Danny's tone was livid. "Flack, how can-"

"Goddamnit, I don't know!" Flack threw his hands in the air. "I can't do anything," he said. "I want to. God knows I want to hide that kid somewhere up here or down in the morgue with Sid, but..."

"I know," Danny put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know."

The elevator dinged. Jack Lewis stepped off the elevator. "Detectives," he said coolly. "Where is my son?"

They didn't have to answer, as he spotted him through the glass walls in Mac's office. "Ryan!" he called in relief. He dashed down the hall and into Mac's office, sweeping the boy from Kendall's arms and close to his chest in one swift movement. He hugged the boy, whispering in his ear. He walked past Flack, Hawkes, Danny and Adam. "Thank you so much, for taking care of my boy. Please tell me you'll do as good a job finding the person that killed my wife." Without another word, Jack Lewis left the 35th floor, carrying his son with him.

Adam's tone was cold. "Count on it."

* * *

Lindsay flashed her badge into the peephole of apartment 10A. "NYPD, I'd like to talk with you," she said.

The chain lock slid back and a nervous-looking, wiry man opened the door. "Benjamin Balent?" Lindsay asked him.

He nodded. "Is there something I can do for you, Detective?" he asked her.

"You mind if I ask you a few questions?"

He stepped back. "No. Please, come in." Lindsay stepped past him and into the apartment. This guy was eerily clean. Briefly, part of her wished this guy hired himself out; her apartment could sure use the help. "Mr. Balent...did you know a Mary Lewis?"

His face fell as he sat down on the couch. "I worked with her. I couldn't believe it when I heard on the news..."

Lindsay was watching him carefully. "Did the two of you ever socialize after work?" she asked him.

"Mary was a friend. We both lived the same direction, so I'd walk her home every now and then," Ben said. "Not safe for a woman to walk home by herself in this city."

"Do you know her husband Jack?"

Ben shivered. "I do."

Lindsay caught the movement. "What's your opinion of him?"

Ben considered the question. "Detective, please don't think any less of me...Jack's about eight times the size of me. He scares me."

"Mr. Balent...do you own a cat?"

To answer her question, there was a soft mew and a longhaired calico jumped onto the arm of the chair Lindsay was sitting in, making her jerk. She took note of the cat's fur. Orange...brown...white. No black.

Ben Balent wasn't their guy. "I'm sorry?" she asked, realizing Ben had been talking to her.

"I said, that's Sinatra right there," Ben explained again. His voice grew soft. "Detective..."

"What?" Lindsay asked him.

"Is Jack being held for questioning?"

"He's a person of interest," Lindsay said. She leaned forward. "Ben...do you know something?"

He opened his mouth. Then he closed it, and shook his head. It was parallel to the movement that Ryan Lewis had done earlier. "No. I was just curious."

"Mr. Balent, I could charge you with impeding the investigation," Lindsay said firmly. "If you know something, it's better for all involved if you say something now."

"Mary used to come to work..." Ben considered his words carefully. "She'd wear long sleeves, even during the summer. Remember that hot spell? Longsleeves. And a lot of makeup. But she'd always shrug it off. Some of the girls-and me-we'd try to get her to report him. She never did."

"So her husband was abusive?"

"She never said anything...but we guessed." Ben sighed. "I kept telling Mary she should leave Jack."

_Maybe she tried_, Lindsay thought.

* * *

Adam held Ryan's fully-charged mp3 player in his hands, twisting the ear bud headphones in his fingertips. That day in the warehouse, he'd sworn he wouldn't let them make him cry. Today, though, tears threatened to fall. _Some superhero_, he thought miserably. "Lost the innocent, can't stop crying."

"We'll get him, Adam," Kendall said. She, Hawkes and Danny were sitting with him in the break room. "We have tons of results that aren't back yet. His alibi's not that solid. We'll have him back here faster than you can think."

"That might not be fast enough."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

"How, Mac?" Stella paced his office. "How could he have..."

Mac shook his head. "I don't know, Stella," he admitted. "This is a new one for me."

"Do you think...I mean..." She couldn't finish the sentence. Because deep down, they _both_ knew that Jack Lewis was an abusive husband and father...and they had been unable to keep him from another innocent victim.

Mac's phone rang. "Taylor," he said tonelessly.

_"Mac, it's Lindsay_,_"_ Lindsay Monroe's voice rang out. "_Balent's not our guy. He did say Mary appeared to be abused, though. Always wore long sleeves to work...Mac...Lewis he's gotta be our guy. Ben said he tried to talk Mary into leaving Jack, but she wouldn't do it. Maybe this time she tried and he killed her for it_."

"I've got some bad news, Linds," Mac said. "Jack Lewis's lawyer managed to get him out of custody _and_ able to take Ryan home."

"_Mac! How could this happen?"_ Lindsay demanded from the line.

Before Mac could explain again that he didn't have any idea, the phone lit up on another line. "Lindsay, get back here ASAP." With that, he hung up and hit the button for line 2. "Taylor," he growled, a little forcefully than usual.

"_Mr. Taylor...my name is Lucille Lewis_," the scratchy voice came from the other end of the line. "_Jack Lewis is my son_."

"What can I do for you, Mrs. Lewis?" Mac asked.

_"I need to report my son_," her sad voice said. "_I can't protect him anymore. Jack was up here with us, but not over the time he says he was. The day Mary died...he was in New York._"

Mac looked up at Stella in alarm. Stella already had her phone out and was dialing Danny.

_"Mary was going to leave him. She was tired of the abuse. Jack found out...he had come up to visit us after losing his job again...but then he called home and Mary said she was leaving him. He left right after he hung up. He was only going to scare her, get her to stay...but he got out of hand."_

* * *

"Flack!" Danny sprinted downstairs into the precinct, where Flack stood up from his desk, catching his best friend's eye. "Flack, Lewis is out guy. We gotta find him, _now_."

* * *

"_Jack couldn't find Ryan. He was going to take him with him, but he didn't know where he was._ _He came upstate with us, told us what happened. His father lied when the police called to talk to us. He used to be an attorney; he's retired now. Jack can't do any wrong in his eyes."_

* * *

Adam and Kendall were headed for some coffee when they passed Mac's office. Adam stopped when he heard Ryan's name. His eyes widened as he heard the confession from Jack's mother. Without a word, he turned and sprinted for the stairs. His mind flashed backwards in time.

_Phoenix_

_"Adam, honey, go pack your suitcase."_

_Seventeen-year-old Adam Ross looked up in confusion from his advanced physics coursework from the University of Arizona. "Mom?"_

_His mother's black eye was fading. Neither one of the two had ever said anything. Adam wanted to, but his mother begged him not to. Against his better judgment, Adam never had. Twelve years. Twelve years they'd put up with Michael Ross's abuse. Adam wanted nothing more than to hit him back. But he would never do it._

_She was standing in the doorway, flushed. "Just go. Pack your backpack, grab your schoolwork. We're leaving."_

_He didn't argue. He had no idea what'd brought the change in his mother's thinking, but he welcomed it wholeheartedly. Sprinting up the stairs, he threw some clothes and his books into his backpack. As he zipped it shut, he heard the front screen door slam open, and he froze dead in his tracks._

_Michael Ross was home._

* * *

Lucille Lewis's voice was grim. "I won't let him get away with it this time. I've spent too long looking the other way."

* * *

Adam skidded into the garage, where Flack and Danny had just started up Flack's car. Adam stood right in front of them and locked eyes with the two detectives.

Flack rolled down the window. "What the hell are you waiting for, huh? Get the hell in the car!"

* * *

"Mrs. Lewis, I have to ask you a question, it may seem a little obscure," Mac began. "Do you own a cat?"

"She's a longhaired tabby."

"What color?"

"Black and gray."

_Bingo._ "Call Lindsay, have her meet Flack and Danny at the Lewis's," Mac told Stella, but she was already dialing, a step ahead of him again.

* * *

_Phoenix_

_He could hear Michael screaming downstairs. Glass broke. Adam tensed. _Don't make him mad. Just go downstairs, don't do anything... _And then part of him blinked, the skies rolled back, and Adam realized he couldn't just lay down anymore. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he went downstairs._

_His mother was crying. His father was yelling. "Leave her alone!" Adam yelled, forcing his father to turn back to him. "You little punk!" Michael roared. "Don't you _dare_ tell me what to do!"_

_"I just did," Adam said, his voice a bit shaky. Even he couldn't believe he'd actually _said_ something! "Leave her alone."_

* * *

The drive was taking too long. Adam tapped his thumbs on the back of Danny's seat as they drove at breakneck speed through the city. _We have to get there. We have to get there in time_.

He caught Danny's eye in the rearview mirror. "Don' worry," Danny told him. "Lindsay's meeting us there. He's not going anywhere."

A cell phone rang. It took Danny a moment to realize it was his own. He picked it up. "Yeah, Messer...Montana...You gotta be freakin' kiddin' me." He hung up. "Flack, there's nobody at the house."

Adam's heart skipped eight beats. He was amazed it didn't stop altogether.

_We can't be too late...not again._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of "CSI:NY" they belong to Anthony E. Zuiker and CBS.**

**Author's Note: Last chapter. Thanks for sticking with me. I loved all of your reviews, every single one! And all those folks that put this on alert or favorites, THANK YOU! Drop me a line, let me know if it was worth putting on favorites!**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Mac was just about to hang up with Lucille Lewis when Stella grabbed his arm, her phone up against her ear. "Don't hang up, Jack's not at the apartment."

"Lucille, your son is trying to run," Mac said urgently. "Any idea where he would go?"

There was silence on the end of the line. "Have you tried going north?" Lucille suggested finally. "He mentioned some friends in Toronto one time."

"Get an APB on Lewis's car," Mac commanded. "Tell Flack and Danny to go north. Get a chopper in the air."

"Already on it," Stella said, the phone to her ear.

* * *

"Yeah, Stel, go ahead..." Danny nodded intently. Adam sat behind him, stomach in knots. "Okay, we'll head that direction." He hung up and looked at Flack. "Turn here."

"He's goin' North?"

"If he hits the border..."

"He won't, they'll have to stop him, we've got an APB on him," Flack replied. He looked in the rearview, caught Adam's eye. "We'll stop him," he said reassuringly.

Only half of Adam's mind was on Ryan Lewis. The other...

* * *

_Phoenix_

_Michael Ross took a menacing step towards his son. Adam stood, slightly trembling, but now he was more angry than anything. "What did you say to me...?"_

_"I said to leave her alone. Both of us," Adam replied, his voice wavering only slightly._

_That was when Michael Ross took a swing at him. Adam had the good fortune to duck at just the right time. And then, he tackled his father around the knees. Michael collapsed to the tile floor in the kitchen, Adam on top of him. But then Michael got the upper hand, twisting so that now Adam was beneath him. Adam kicked hard with both knees, trying to dislodge him, but Michael Ross was a good hundred pounds heavier. He couldn't budge him. He thought he saw his mother grab his dad's shoulder, trying to pull him off. He shrugged her off easily, sending her into one of the kitchen chairs. She lay there, stunned._

_Adam had seen his father plenty angry in the past. But the look on his face right now...he knew it was because Adam had finally gotten the nerve to stand up to him. And he didn't like his authority challenged. It was a completely different story when someone was fighting back._

_And then his father's hands wrapped around his neck._

* * *

"Hey! Look up there!" Danny's voice interrupted his thoughts, jolting him back to reality.

Adam craned his neck through the front seats and peered out. Two Metro police cars had pulled over a black Honda Accord. "That's the Lewis's car," Adam said, scrambling to get out of the seatbelt. "That's them, that's them!"

* * *

_Phoenix_

_He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fight his father off. The room swam, his vision blurred. And then he heard yelling. Loud voices. Suddenly, Michael's angry face was gone, replaced by the kitchen ceiling. He rolled onto his side, coughing. And a voice in his ear, telling him, "You're okay. You're safe now. It's all right. Nobody's gonna hurt you again."_

* * *

Flack had slowed down now, and Adam didn't even wait for the car to stop before he was out of there. "Adam!" he heard Danny yell behind him, but he ignored it. Time seemed to run in slow motion as he darted up to the Accord...

-shoved his way past the two Metro cops...

"Easy!" he heard Flack yell behind him, "He's with us!"...

-flung open the passenger side door in the back...

...and Ryan Lewis tumbled into his arms. "I'm sorry!" Adam whispered breathlessly as Ryan clung for dear life to him again. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...You're okay now. You're safe again. Nobody's ever going to hurt you again."

"Nice talkin' to ya again, Jack," he heard Flack gloat from behind him as he started reading Jack Lewis his rights- the technicality his lawyer had found the first time around. Flack emphasized every word, too.

Danny came up to Adam and Ryan, placed a hand on Adam's shoulder. "Nice work, hero," he said. "You saved the day again."

Adam smiled wearily. "I had a lot of help," he said softly.

* * *

"So Ryan's living where now?"

Adam leaned back on the couch, and Kendall started playing with his shirt collar. "He's with an aunt in Queens. Danny was sick; joked that living in Queens wasn't any better."

"I hope you slugged him," Kendall replied.

"I beat him twice at pool at Sullivan's tonight, that was embarrassment enough for him," Adam replied, thinking of guy's night out earlier that evening. "Even Flack was impressed."

"He should be," Kendall said. Then she brightened. "Hey...so you don't work tomorrow?"

"Mac gave me a day to breathe," Adam confirmed.

Kendall smiled. "Good," she said as she untangled herself from the couch. She crossed the room and turned the living room lights off. The only light now came from the city outside through the window.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked her. "Where are you?"

Her voice rang out in the dark, "Use those superpowers you've got," she teased him. "Come get me, hero."

He grinned, knowing she couldn't see, as he got up from the floor. The hairs on the back of his neck were straight up. A line came to his head- _My spider senses are tingling_.

And then Kendall laughed from his room, and he realized it might not have been spider senses after all.

He took off after her. _All in a day's work. Save the world...get the girl._

_**Author's Note**: _**I just wanted to say thanks again. I have another story in mind, so look for it soon! Lots of supernatural, otherworldly things, just in time for Halloween! Constructive criticism is usually warranted and ALWAYS appreciated, so drop me a line! Or a word. Or...a bunch of letters jumbled together, doesn't matter.**


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